Peripheral devices are now often used in conjunction with add-on external devices. For example, printers and photocopiers are often equipped with external paper-handling devices that manage paper from an input side or output side of the peripheral device. Examples of external devices on the input side include high capacity input devices, multi-tray input devices, and the like. Examples of external devices associated with the output side include high capacity output bins, multi-tray output bins, and various document finishing devices such as stapling devices, folding devices, etc.
Such external devices typically comprise their own processing and storing capabilities and, therefore, may be thought of as comprising their own internal computers. In order to properly interact with external devices, the host device normally must be able to communicate with the external devices. Without such communication, the host device would not be able to utilize the services of the external devices. For instance, if an external paper input device is used, communications normally must occur between the host device and the input device so that the input device can be instructed as to when and the speed with which to provide paper to the host device. To cite another example, if an external stapling device is used, communications must occur to instruct the host device as to if/when the stapling device is out of staples so that output from the host can be halted until such staples are provided (or until the job is cancelled).
Some information communicated between the host device and its external devices is presented to the user on occasion. For instance, where an error condition occurs (e.g., a paper jam in an input device), this condition can be communicated to the user. Although such information is important to provide to the user and therefore serves an important purpose, this information is often sparse at best. For example, if a paper jam occurs in an external device, the user likely is only told of the condition through a terse message that identifies the condition. This can be a problem in that correcting the paper jam, or other error condition, may require several steps of which the user may not be aware and can only learn about with reference to a user's manual or skilled administrator.
The limited amount of information provided to the user may also pose a problem beyond error conditions. In particular, the user may wish to obtain more status information beyond the “ready” indication normally provided in the host device control panel. For example, an office administrator may wish to know with a relatively high degree of precision how many sheets of paper are left in an input device before sending a large job to the host device. Normally, such information is not obtainable using the host device control panel, despite the fact that this information may have been provided to the host device from the input device through their communications back and forth.
The limited nature of the information provided to the user by the host device is in part due to the programming of the host device and, at least for less expensive host devices, to the lack of display resources, most such devices merely having a one or two line character display. Although some host devices now come equipped with embedded web servers that host web pages that contain some status and/or error information, this information typically merely echoes that available using the device control panel and/or may not contain information specifically related to the external device. Although more detail could be provided using an embedded web server, not all users are interested in such information and, therefore, may not be interested in any additional cost associated with its provision. Moreover, such a solution would not permit communication of this information at the host device.
In addition to the status-type information identified above, other information that the user may wish to access is not currently provided or available to the user. For example, information as to the capabilities, such as capacity or speed, of the external devices, or the host device, normally is not provided to the user. In addition, information regarding normal use (e.g., of a tutorial nature) of the external device and/or host device typically is not provided to the user. Normally, such information regarding the devices, their capabilities, and their use is only provided in a user's manual which, unfortunately, often is difficult and tedious for most users to access.
From the above, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable for users to be able to more easily obtain a greater amount of information about external devices, or the host devices that use them.